Manhole cover support



Nov. 23, 1965 H. M. BOWMAN 3,218,943

MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 19. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.HAROLD M. BOWMAN BY W pm 29% AT TORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1965 H. M. BOWMAN 3,213,943

MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.HAROLD M. BOWMAN BY WI 00m ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office 3,218,943 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 3,218,943MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Harold M. Bowman, 475 Humiston Drive, Bay Village,Ohio Filed Sept. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 310,049 16 Claims. (CI. 9434) Thisinvention relates to manhole cover supports and more particularly to anadjustable support for varying the height of the cover.

In the repair and resurfacing of streets and highways, it is frequentlyfound that the repaired or resurfaced roadway is substantially higherthan the original roadway with the result that the upper edges ofnumerous manhole housings are disposed substantially below the new roadsurface. The upper end portions of the housings carry annular, inwardlyprojecting flanges just below the upper edges thereof for supportingmanhole covers, and said covers are disposed below the resurfacedroadway, thereby creating hazardous driving conditions, unless somemeans is provided for raising the levels of said covers.

An important object of this invention is to provide a verticallyadjustable manhole cover support whereby a manhole cover can be raisedto the level of a newly resurfaced road.

Another object is to provide a manhole cover support of the above typehaving means for rigidly mounting it upon the flange of a conventionalmanhole housing.

Still another object is to provide a manhole cover support having theabove referred to characteristics wherein there is provided a sectional,circumferentially expansible base which radially outwardly compressivelyengages the upper end portion of the manhole housing in use.

According to one modification of the invention, it is an object toprovide a sectional manhole cover support for original installationwhich circumferentially engages a modified manhole housing in suchmanner as to be subsequently vertically adjustable when the street orhighway is repaired.

Other objects of the invention and the invention itself will be readilyunderstood from the following description of three embodiments of theinvention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a repaired or resurfaced road showing aconventional manhole housing and a support of this invention mountedthereto;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a sectional base of the support;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an elevating section of the support;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified form of theelevating section;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 7 showing a further modificationof the invention adapted for original installation with a modifiedmanhole housing;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the manhole cover supportadjusted upwardly; and

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of a plurality of expansible elevatingsections according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a manhole casting or housing10 installed in an original roadbed 11. The surface of the originalroadbed 11 is indicated at 12, and 13 represents resurfacing materialwhich has raised the surface of the street or highway to a new surfacelevel indicated at 14. The housing 10 has an upper edge 15 which issubstantially coplanar with the surface 12 of the original roadbed 11. Avertically adjustable manhole cover support 16 is mounted within theupper, open end of the housing 10 adjacent to the upper edge 15, saidsupport having an upper edge 17 which is substantially coplanar with thenew surface level 14. The manhole cover support 16 is mounted upon aradially inwardly projecting flange 18 which projects from the innerperipheral surface of the manhole housing 10 a short distance below theupper edge 15 thereof. Said manhole cover support supports a manholecover 19 which is adapted and is of such size as to seat upon the flange18 and which was originally seated upon such flange before the level ofthe street or highway was raised by the addition of the resurfacingmaterial 13.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate the manhole cover support 16 in detail. Saidsupport comprises a sectional base 20 which carries an elevating support21. As well shown in FIG. 3, the sectional base 20 comprises fourarcuate base sections 22 each of which describes slightly less than ofarc and each of which is provided with an upwardly open channel 23 whichfollows the arc of the section. As well shown in FIG. 4, the inner sidewalls of each channel 23 are formed to provide inwardly projecting teeth24, each tooth presenting a horizontal, flat upper surface 25 and anoblique lower surface 26. The upper surfaces 25 of each tooth iscoplanar with a tooth directly opposite it on the other side of thechannel, and each lower surface 26 is directed downwardly and laterallyoutwardly of the channel 23 directly opposite a lower surface 26 on theother side of the channel which is a mirror image thereof. As will berealized, the illustrated shape of the teeth 24 enables small incrementsof adjustment to be made to the elevating section 30 while alsoproviding adequately strong supporting surfaces for the elevatingsections 21 presently to be described.

Each base section 22 is provided with a pair of bosses 27 projectingfrom its concave, lateral side surface adjacent to its circumferentiallydirected ends. The bosses 27 are adapted to each receive one end of anadjusting bolt 28. The base sections 22 are assembled as shown in FIG. 3with each adjacent pair of said sections being connected by an adjustingbolt 28. Each said adjusting bolt has a central hexagonal grippingportion 29 and portions extending in either direction from said grippingportion having rightand left-hand threads. The bosses 27 of each basesection 22 are similarly provided with internal rightand left-handthreads whereby the sections may be drawn together to contract theentire base 20 by turning the adjusting bolts in one direction orwhereby said base may be circumferentially expanded by turning saidbolts in the opposite direction to thereby enable said base toaccommodate a plurality of diameters of manhole openmgs.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an elevating section 30 of the elevating support 21which said section is arcuately formed about the same radius and extendssubstantially the same circumferential distance as the channels 23 ofthe arcuate base sections 22. In section, as detailed in FIG. 6, anelevating section 30 comprises a dovetail base 31, a vertical wall 32projecting upwardly from said base, a horizontally disposed ledgeportion 33 at the top of said vertical wall, and an obliquely upwardlyand laterally outwardly directed flange 34. The dovetail base 30 isadapted to slidably interfit between vertically adjacent pairs of teeth24 in a base section 22, and the vertical wall 32 is adapted to bedisposed between the inwardly directed ends of said teeth in a channel23.

In use of the manhole cover support 16, an elevating section 30 is firstassembled to each arcuate base section 22 in the manner illustrated inFIG. 2. This is done by inserting the dovetail base 31 endwise into thechannel 23 with the lateral edges of said base disposed upon a selectedpair of opposite upper flat surfaces 25. The plurality of teeth 24afford different levels at which the base 31 can be positioned, and eachelevating section 30 is positioned at the same height in each arcuatebase section 22. Said base sections are then assembled in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 3 with each adjacent pair of sections beingconnected by an adjusting bolt 28 and drawn circumferentially togetheruntil the outer circumference of the sectional base 20 will fit easilywithin the upper open end of the manhole housing 10. The sectional base20 is then positioned within the manhole housing with the arcuate basesection-s 22 resting upon the flange 18 of the housing 10. Eachadjusting bolt 28 is then turned the same amount in such manner as tocause the sectional base 20 to circumferentially expand to the pointwhere it is pressed tightly outwardly against the inner periphery of thehousing above the flange 18.

By properly selecting the teeth 24 upon which the bases 31 of theelevating support 21 rest, the upper edge of the flange 34 can bedisposed at substantially the anticipated level of the new surface 14 ofthe street. Resurfacing material 13 is then added to the originalroadbed 11 to bring the level of the street to the new level of themanhole cover support. Part of the resurfacing material 13 will flow orbe pressed beneath the outer portions of the ledge portions 33, betweenthe arcuate base sections 22, and between the arcuate elevating sections30. The resurfacing material 13 can be easily formed or cut away betweenthe elevating sections 30 to complement the flanges 34 and the ledgeportions 33 whereby a new circumferentially continuous seat is formed toreceive the annular edge portions of the manhole cover 19 in the samemanner in which it was originally mounted upon the flange 18. The newseat formed by the ledge portions 33 and the flanges 34 is disposedvertically directly above the old seat provided by the flange 18 and theinner peripheral surface of the housing whereby the same manhole cover19 or one identical therewith in size and dimension may be used in themanhole cover support 16.

FIG. 7 shows a modified form of the manhole cover support which utilizesa circumferentially expansible sectional base 20 of the type used in thefirst embodiment of the invention, said base being made up of thearcuate base sections 22 as previously described. Said base is similarlyadapted to be positioned upon the flange 18 f the manhole housing andexpanded outwardly against the inner peripheral surface of said housing.

The difference between the first described embodiment and the presentembodiment lies in the elimination of the flange 34. In the embodimentof FIG. 7, each elevating section indicated at 40 comprises a dovetailbase 41, a vertical wall 42 projecting upwardly therefrom, and ahorizontally disposed ledge portion 43 surmounting the upper edge ofsaid wall. As in the first embodiment of the invention, the base 41 isadapted to be slidably inserted upon selected opposite pairs of teeth 24projecting inwardly of the channel 23 of each base section 22.

In the second form of the invention, the resurfacing material 13 isplaced upon the old road bed 11 to a thickness which extendssubstantially above the ledge portion 43, and said resurfacing materialis formed adjacent to said ledge portion in such manner as to, ineffect, provide a peripheral flange around the outer edges of the ledgeportion. If desired, the annular edge or flange formed by theresurfacing material 13 may be reinforced by an annular wear ring 44which is shown in broken line in FIG. 7 and which may comprise a ring ofmetal, plastic, or the like having a substantially L-shaped section withone flange thereof disposed at the new surface level 14 and the otherflange thereof lining the inner peripheral surface of the flange formedby the resurfacing material. As in the first embodiment of theinvention, the elevating section 40 is vertically adjustable tocorrespond to the anticipated new surface level 14 and the thickness ofthe annular edge portion of the manhole cover 19.

The third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 andis an adaptation of the invention for use in original installations ofmanhole housings and covers therefor. In this embodiment, the manholehousing is shown at in fragmentary form, and it will be noted that noflange of the type shown at 18 in the first two embodiments of theinvention is provided. The manhole housing 50 is modified adjacent toits upper end to provide a plurality of vertically spaced,circumferentially continuous teeth 51 which are identical in crosssection with the individual teeth 24 hereinabove described. Each toothprovides a flat upper surface 52 and an oblique lower surface 53. Theupper edge of the modified manhole housing, indicated at 54, is disposedslightly below the original surface of the street or highway indicatedat 55.

The manhole cover 19 is directly supported by a sectional elevatingsupport 56 which comprises four arcuate elevating sections 57, shownassembled in FIG. 10. Each section 57 comprises a vertically disposed,arcuate wall 58 the upper edge of which is provided with a radiallyoutwardly projecting flange 59. Adjacent to the lower edge of the wall58, the outer convex surface of said wall is provided with a pluralityof teeth 60 adapted to complementarily interfit the teeth 51 of themodified manhole housing 50. Said teeth 60 have upper oblique surfaces61 and lower, flat, horizontal surfaces 62 which are complementary tothe lower surfaces 53 and the upper surface 52 respectively of the teeth51.

A radially inwardly projecting flange 64 is provided on the innerconcave surface on each wall 58 a short distance below the upper surfaceof the flange 59. Adjacent to the lower edge of said wall 58, inwardlyprojecting bosses 65 are provided at the circumferentially directed endsof each said elevating section 57.

As shown in FIG. 10, the sections 57 are assembled in a manner similarto the manner in which the base sections 22 are assembled in FIG. 3.Adjusting bolts 66 having hexagonal gripping portions 67 are threadfitted to bosses 65 of circumferentially adjacent elevating sections toconnect them together. As before, the adjusting bolts 66 have rightandleft-hand threaded portions projecting in either direction from thegripping portion 67 whereby the sectional elevating support may becircumferentially expanded or contracted to accommodate a plurality ofdiameters of manhole openings.

FIG. 8 shows an original installation of the modified form of the thirdembodiment of the invention. The sectional elevating support 56, havingfirst been assembled as shown in FIG. 10, is circumferentiallycontracted to the point whereby it can be dropped downwardly within theupper open mouth of the modified manhole housing 50, the outwardlyprojecting flanges S9 resting upon the upper edge 54 of said modifiedmanhole housing. The elevating support 56 is then expanded by means ofthe adjusting bolts 66 whereby the teeth of the elevating sections 57interfit the lowermost teeth 51 of the manhole housing 50. The originalstreet surface 55 is then brought to the level of the upper surfaces ofthe flanges 59, and the manhole cover 19 is disposed upon the flanges64.

Referring now to FIG. 9, if the street is subsequently resurfaced andtherefore raised to a new surface level as indicated at 68', it will bereadily understood that the sectional elevating support 56 may bereadily and easily raised to the new surface level by contracting saidsupport, raising it upwardly a distance of one or more of the teeth 51,and then expanding it to interfit tightly with higher of said teeth 51.Thus, the manhole cover support and housing as originally installed arevertically adjustable relative to each other without the use ofadditional parts or apparatus.

It will be understood that many changes in the details of the inventionas herein described and illustrated may be made without, however,departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sectional manhole cover support for vertically adjusting the levelof a manhole cover in the opening of a manhole housing, each section ofsaid support comprising a base member adapted to be fixed within saidopening against vertical movement downwardly in use thereof and avertically adjustable elevating member for supporting a manhole cover;each said members having means defining laterally directed supportsurfaces which complementarily interfit each other in different relativepositions for adjustment of said adjustable elevating member in avertical direction in said opening; said members each comprising aplurality of arcuate sections collectively substantially forming a ring;and means for moving the sections of said base member circumferentiallyapart to expand said base member within said opening of said manholehousing to tightly engage said housing.

2. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 1; and wherein theupper edge of each section of the elevating member defines an arcuate,horizontal ledge; said ledges collectively defining a substantiallyannular seat for receiving the peripheral edge portion of a manholecover.

3. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 1; and wherein theupper edge of each section of the elevating member has a horizontal,arcuate ledge and an upstanding, arcuate flange at the outer edge ofsaid horizontal ledge; said horizontal ledges collectively defining asubstantially annular recess for receiving the peripheral edge portionof a manhole cover and said upstanding flanges collectively defining anannular flange for retaining the manhole cover in place.

4. Manhole cover support means for mounting on the inwardly directedflange of a manhole housing, said support means comprising a ringlikebase made up of a plurality of arcuate base sections disposed upon themanhole flange in use; said sections being channel shaped in crosssection with the open sides of the channels directed upwardly; adjustingmeans connecting said base sections for circumferentially adjusting thespacing between adjacent sections whcreby said sections can accommodatea plurality of diameters of manhole housings, means providing teethprojecting inwardly from the inner side walls of said channels; saidteeth disposed in horizontally aligned pairs on opposite inner walls ofeach channel at different levels and extending continuously throughoutthe arcuate length of each said section; a plurality of arcuate,elevating sections arcuately slidably interfitting said base sectionsand having complementary laterally projecting teeth interfitting aselected number of the teeth of said base section at a selected level;said elevating sections having vertical arcuate walls projectingupwardly out of said channel shaped base sections; said walls havinghorizontal ledge portions at their upper edges collectively forming aseat for receiving the annular edge portions of a manhole cover.

5. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 4; and wherein saidadjusting means comprises bosses at the ends of said base sections whichproject inwardly from the concave sides of said sections; and expansionmeans disposed between bosses of each circumferentially adjacent pair ofsaid base sections whereby said sections are movable apart to expandsaid ringlike base to a tight interfit with the inner wall surface ofthe manhole housing.

6. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 5; said expansionmeans comprising adjusting bolts having rightand left-hand threadedportions extending in opposite directions and thread fitted into bossesof adjacent of said base sections; and which are adjustable toselectively move said sections together and away from each other.

7. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 4; said ledgeportions having upstanding flanges at the 6 outer, convex edges of saidledge portions which collectively form an annular retainer around saidmanhole cover in use thereof.

8. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 7; said basesections having bosses at the ends thereof which project inwardly fromthe concave side of said sections; adjusting bolts having rightandleft-hand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and threadfitted into bosses of adjacent of said base sections; said bolts havingcentral gripping portions for turning said bolts whereby to draw saidadjacent sections together or separate them.

9. Manhole cover support means comprising a manhole housing having aplurality of inwardly formed, annular teeth adjacent to the upper, openmouth thereof; said teeth being uniformly vertically spaced whereby theyare disposed at different levels; a plurality of arcuate, elevatingsections collectively substantially forming a ring adapted to interfitsaid mouth of said housing; each said section having an arcuate,inwardly projecting flange at the concave, inner side thereof forsupporting a peripheral portion of a manhole cover; each said sectionhaving inwardly projection bosses at the ends thereof; each said sectionhaving outwardly projecting teeth disposed at different levels adaptedto complementarily interfit selected of said teeth of said housingwhereby to dispose said sections at different levels for raising orlowering said flanges; and adjusting bolts having rightand left-handthreaded portions extending in opposite directions and thread fittedinto bosses of circumferentially adjacent of said sections whereby thering formed by said sections is expansible in said housing to cause saidteeth of said sections to tightly engage and grip said teeth of saidhousing at different levels.

10. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 9; said sectionshaving horizontally disposed, outwardly radiating flanges at the upperedges thereof adapted to project outwardly over the upper edge of saidhousing, the upper surfaces of said flanges being coplanar with thesurface of an associated roadway.

11. Manhole cover support means for vertically adjusting the level of amanhole cover, said support means comprising a plurality of basesections, each of said sections having an upwardly opening channel shapein cross section, the opposed inner side walls of each of said channelshaped sections including vertically spaced inwardly projecting ledgeswith each ledge defining a horizontal upper surface and an oblique lowersurface extending substantially the length of each section, thehorizontal upper surface of each ledge on one side wall being coplanarwith the horizontal upper surface of a ledge on the opposed side wall,the oblique lower surface on each ledge being directed downwardly andlaterally outwardly of the channel, a vertically adjustable member, saidadjustable member comprising a plurality of support sections with eachsection having a vertically extending portion projecting upwardly out ofone of said channel shaped base sections, each support section of saidadjustable member including a horizontal support on the upper end ofsaid vertically extending portion for supporting a peripheral portion ofa manhole cover, and each support section further including laterallyextending means on either side thereof adapted to interfit with aselected ledge on said side walls of said base sections for support ofsaid adjustable member in a plurality of selected vertical positions andeach said base and support sections adapted to be circumferentiallymovable to expand the supporting portion of said support sections toenable said support sections to accommodate a diversity of diameters ofmanhole covers.

12. A manhole cover support comprising a housing, a plurality ofvertically spaced inwardly directed ledges carried by the upper end ofthe housing, an elevating member comprising a plurality of sections eachhaving a ledge formed thereon which complementarily interfits at leastone of the ledges carried by said housing, and means for retaining saidsections in an expanded relationship to each other.

13. In a manhole cover support as is defined in claim 12 and wherein theinwardly directed ledges are formed integral with the upper end of thehousing.

14. In a manhole cover support as is defined in claim 12 and wherein theinwardly directed ledges are formed in a separate member carried by saidhousing.

15. A manhole cover support for vertically adjusting the level of amanhole cover in a roadbed or the like, said support comprising ahousing member, a vertically adjustable elevating member adapted tosupport a manhole cover and including a plurality of sections, at leastone of said members having means defining vertically spaced laterallydirected support surfaces which complementarily interfit at least onesupport surface formed on the other of said members for supporting saidadjustable elevating member on said base member in a plurality ofdifferent vertical positions with respect to said roadbed, and means forexpanding said sections for moving said elevating member into grippingrelation with said housing member.

16. A manhole cover support for vertcally adjusting the level of amanhole cover in the opening of a manhole housing comprising a basemember carried on said housing and having a plurality of supportsurfaces, said surfaces being vertically spaced whereby they aredisposed at different levels, elevating means including an elevatingmember having a flange thereon for supporting a peripheral portion of amanhole cover, said elevating member further including outwardlyprojecting means adapted to complementarily interfit at least one ofsaid surfaces on said base member thereby to dispose said coversupporting flange at different levels, said base member and elevatingmember each comprising a plurality of sections, with each section ofsaid base and elevating members selectively having inwardly projectingbosses at the ends thereof, and adjusting bolts having right and lefthand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and threadfitted into bosses of adjacent ones of said sections whereby said basesections are expansible to tightly engage and grip the manhole housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,457 2/1898Sanborn 94-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 336,437 10/1930 Great Britain.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A SECTIONAL MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTING THE LEVELOF A MANHOLE COVER IN THE OPENING OF A MANHOLE HOUSING, EACH SECTION OFSAID SUPPORT COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE FIXED WITHIN SAIDOPENING AGAINST VERTICAL MOVEMENT DOWNWARDLY IN USE THEREOF ANDVERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE ELEVATING MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING A MANHOLE COVER;EACH SAID MEMBERS HAVING MEANS DEFINING LATERALLY DIRECTED SUPPORTSURFACES WHICH COMPLEMENTARILY INTERFIT EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT RELATIVEPOSITIONS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF SAID ADJUSTABLE ELEVATING MEMBER IN VERTICALDIRECTION IN SAID OPENING; SAID MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFARCUATE SECTIONS COLLECTIVELY SUBSTANTIALLY FORMING A RING; AND MEANSFOR MOVING THE SECTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY APART TOEXPAND SAID BASE MEMBER WITHIN SAID OPENING OF SAID MANHOLE HOUSING TOTIGHTLY ENGAGE SAID HOUSING.